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ADDICTED: ARE YOU A JUNKIE AND DON’T EVEN KNOW IT?

The definition of an addict is someone who is compulsive in their need for reward, substance, or activity where the compulsive behavior leads to negative consequences. We often connect an addiction with someone that is on drugs or alcohol. But how often do we hear about people who have other addictions to things such as sex, food, work, and shopping. Most people don’t want to talk about these other issues because they are quite odd to be addicted to in life. Who wants to admit they’re addicted to food, sex, their jobs, or even buying tangibles. Well, no one, but how? How are these addictions which to the average person are normal behaviors.

Let’s start with sex for example. Sex is one of the most, if not the most natural action among humans. This is the way humans procreate as a species. So when does this natural act become an addiction. It becomes an addiction when it leads to consequences that are harmful to you or others around you. For instance, when you find yourself constantly either cheating on your significant other or exposing yourself to sexually transmitted diseases then it’s an addiction. Another form of sexual addiction is more common and that’s through the use of pornography. It causes people to be desensitized by a real sexual experience. The levels of sensitivities are so high that men, for example find it difficult to maintain erections. Women have their own dysfunctions, for example sex toys desensitize the clitoris making normal sex unsatisfying.

Yet, this isn’t the only addiction outside of drugs and alcohol. Food is an even bigger addiction than sex, drugs, and alcohol. Especially in America, we eat so much that we develop predisposed food illnesses. Illnesses that lead to depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and obesity. We need food for our survival, so there’s no wonder why a food addiction is so hard to kick. And when you come from a family that overindulges then you’ll find it even harder not to eat a lot. Not to mention that certain ethnics groups typically consume greater portions than others. So with something so natural, this also comes as no surprise why it as well is so hard to kick.

Now, with the prior addictions taking hold of so many people’s lives, could there possibly be any other addictions. What about your career; could this become an addiction? Absolutely, that’s where the term workaholic comes from. Especially in today’s society, we work so much that we disconnect from friends and family. Kids more than ever come home after school to an empty house because of overworking parents. We as adults neglect the people around us and fail to realize this until it’s too late. People close to us pass away, and move away. Your kids grow up and you miss out on so much that you regret later on. So make time for them now.

But is that all? Is there more addictions in life? There are, shopping is another addiction. You go how, well when you are purchasing to the point where you can’t sustain financially, then you’re out of control. People shop to be accepted into a social group or even to cover up an emotional wound. Buying new clothes give you this new feeling, even if it is minimal. We think that by buying these items that good feeling will last, but it doesn’t; it never does. In the end, addiction is a hard illness to cope with; especially if the problem is a natural overindulgence. Seeking help is tough, yet necessary when kicking any habit.